Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) play an integral role in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

Such hazards may be of a hydro-meteorological nature - for example, adverse weather events like heavy rains, flash flooding, land/mudslides, high winds and seas.

The Meteorological Service's mandate is to constantly monitor the likelihood of such events and provide information to the general public and decision-makers on same in order to save lives and property.

The service has kept abreast with the technological advancements and has provided weather information, both routine and adverse, to users through various media.

In recent times, under the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) Voluntary Cooperation Programme (VCP) in collaboration with the UK Met Office, the Dominica Meteorological Service (DMS) benefited from the installation of a Mini Television Studio and training of staff on same.

The realization of this project is of tremendous importance to the DMS with regards to the provision of daily television (TV) weather forecast presentations and alerts to the public with regards to early warning information dissemination. This is a step in the right direction in the development of Dominica's early warning system capabilities.

Television (TV) weather broadcast will commence early January 2014 introducing a more user friendly methodology in weather information dissemination.

The DMS extends gratitude to the WMO, UK Met Office and Government of Dominica for assistance in the realization of this endeavor.

Posted: 07/01/2014